Wake up from slumber, Congress attacks Modi govt on ‘absence of policy to tackle Pakistan’

The Congress today asked the government to “wake up from its slumber” after two soldiers were killed on the LoC and their bodies mutilated by Pakistan, and urged the prime minister to take the opposition into confidence while framing a policy to tackle such incidents.

Holding the government responsible for the “absence of policy or direction to tackle Pakistan or terrorism”, the Congress took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking when he will display “his 56-inch chest” to Pakistan.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi also strongly condemned the killings and described them as a “barbaric and disgraceful act”.

“The government must move beyond platitudes and hold Pakistan to account,” he tweeted.

Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said such cowardly acts are unacceptable in a civilised society and are not conducive to Pakistan’s own interests and security.

Expressing concern over rise in terrorist incidents in the country post-September 2016 surgical strike, he attacked the BJP-led NDA government over its Kashmir policy saying “it has been a disaster marked by political opportunism”.

AICC in-charge of communications Randeep Surjewala said 200 soldiers have been martyred in J&K since May, 2014 and asked what this government was doing and the incident displays “lack of a credible political leadership in the country and absence of a policy or direction” in this regard.

“It really shows a serious lapse in national security on part of the present BJP Government. When will BJP government wake up from its slumber. We have seen enough rhetoric and we have seen a lot of words. It is high time for a decisive policy and a decisive line to tackle terrorism, as also to tackle Pakistan,” Surjewala said.

He also asked when we can India have a credible and decisive policy to tackle Pakistan and to deal with terrorism and for how long will the nation have a “complete vacuum in our diplomacy as also the strategic policy of dealing with Pakistan in terrorism”.

“Was 56-inch chest an empty ‘Jumla’? Pakistan has been attacking India with impunity. When is Prime Minister Modi planning to show off his ’56 inch chest’ to them and send them cowering?” he asked.

Citing figures, Surjewala claimed in J&K alone in the last three years, 200 jawans made the supreme sacrifice and 91 civilians were killed, and Pakistan committed 1,343 ceasefire violations, besides 12 major terrorist attacks in Punjab and J&K.

Sharma called on Modi to break his silence and spell out a policy on Kashmir after taking the opposition into confidence on the issue and on internal security to stop rising terrorist incidents sponsored from across the border.

“It is the prime minister’s duty that he takes the opposition leadership into confidence. The prime minister should hold a meeting with opposition leaders and discuss the policy he has in mind to control what is happening in Kashmir and along the border.

“The situation is serious and we cannot overlook it and the prime minister should focus on governance and stop propaganda and claims,” Sharma told reporters.

He said the government lacks comprehension of the situation as it has allowed things “to deteriorate and go completely out of control because of its sheer lust for power, political opportunism and formation of a government (in J&K)” which ignored the realities of internal security challenges in that region.

“We condemn what Pakistan did. It must stop terrorism and realise that these actions are unacceptable in a civilised world. It deserves to be condemned firmly and Pakistan must realise that these actions are unacceptable in a civilised society and they are not conducive to Pakistan’s own interest, its own security and the welfare of its people,” he said.

He said there have been six major attacks on army camps and 41 army officers and soldiers have been martyred in these attacks.

“Therefore, what is happening today, the situation has to be reversed. This situation cannot be allowed to drift any further,” he said.